masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgThree teams and one game. That is all that separates the top clubs in the American League East today after Boston won and Toronto lost yesterday.
The Orioles (66-51) and the Blue Jays (67-52) share first place and the Red Sox (65-52) are one game back. A Red Sox win at Camden Yards tonight coupled with a Blue Jays loss to the Yankees would create a three-way tie for first. It is that close right now.
Of those three teams competing for the top spot, the Orioles are the only one to have more home…

Three teams and one game. That is all that separates the top clubs in the American League East today after Boston won and Toronto lost yesterday.

The Orioles (66-51) and the Blue Jays (67-52) share first place and the Red Sox (65-52) are one game back. A Red Sox win at Camden Yards tonight coupled with a Blue Jays loss to the Yankees would create a three-way tie for first. It is that close right now.

Of those three teams competing for the top spot, the Orioles are the only one to have more home games remaining than road games.

As the Orioles begin a two-game series at Camden Yards tonight with the Red Sox, they have 25 of their remaining 45 games at home, where they are 39-17 (.696) for the season.

Camden Yards daytime.jpgBoston has played the fewest road games of any team in the majors and has 16 left at home and 29 on the road. Toronto has 19 remaining at home and 24 on the road. The Orioles have nine games remaining with the Red Sox (including six at home) and six games left with the Blue Jays (including three at home).

Beginning Sunday, Boston began a stretch of playing in four ballparks in a span of five days. It started Sunday at Fenway Park versus Arizona. On Monday, they played at Cleveland, today and tomorrow they’re at Baltimore and then they play Thursday at Detroit.

The Red Sox have won four in a row, sweeping Arizona over the weekend by outscoring the Diamondbacks 31-9. Boston beat Cleveland 3-2 on Monday afternoon in a one-game makeup contest.

Boston is 23-16 since July 1 and has been getting some decent starting pitching lately. In fact, Sox starters have allowed three earned runs or fewer in 12 consecutive games and have an ERA of 2.81 in 14 games in August.

AL leaders, team ERA, since All-Star break
3.12 – Rays
3.20 – Tigers
3.65 – Blue Jays
3.66 – Red Sox
3.68 – Orioles

Since the break, the Blue Jays are 16-12, while the Red Sox are 16-14 and the Orioles are 15-15.

The O’s offense could be finally trending up a bit with 24 runs the last four games. Manny Machado is batting .327 with a .963 OPS this month. Matt Wieters came up with five hits on Sunday. Chris Davis recently had a run of six hits in 11 at-bats. But his four strikeouts on Sunday put him back on the hot seat with the fans. Adam Jones is batting .386 his last 10 games. Mark Trumbo has three homers and eight RBIs his past four games. Jonathan Schoop hit a game-winning homer on Sunday. Pedro Alvarez has 15 homers his last 44 games.

The Orioles will play 14 of their next 19 games at home. It will take them to Labor Day. There is little separation between the top three teams in the East right now. Can the O’s make a run and gain some ground in the next three weeks?